That is what in my mind,made the book more infuriating, though not more devastating, than the show. The chapter ends with you thinking Arya died too. You don’t find out she is alive for like 100 pages. Though the Talisa arc made it as compelling, I think they wisely choose not to end the episode like that.

Can you imagine how people would react if you though Arya died too? I think a lot, a LOT of people would quit the show.

At least it wasn’t at/near the end of the book, and even without checking right away, we knew she was safe before the end, and long wait between books.
Can’t say the same about a couple characters near the end of book 5, this cliffhanger is killing me! Goddamn it GRRM, write faster!!!

With the prologue showing what happens to dead wargs, Beric’s ability to light a sword like lightbringer, Beric showing you can pass that gift along, the name of the pooch etc I think it should be obvious how he gets out of that predicament. I’m just afraid it means another dead dog.

I think y’all are right, but GRRM has overused this “bringing ‘em back” device, and what adds to his shame is that he uses it as cliffhanger in this case (he actually had the nerve to complain about Gandalf’s un-death).
It actually would surprise me if the character would bite the dust this time, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Ned Stark showed up in Winterfell and asked what the whole fuzz was about.

If Catelyn wakes up and goes into what passes for a shower in Winterfell and finds Ned soaping up and it turns out this was all a dream I am going to be very disappointed. I’m assuming that this is what all this Spoiler talk is about.

I think Martin has been very good about showing you the body, in the book where the character dies, and usually in the next chapter. Just because someone got stabbed a bunch of times and went cold, doesn’t mean they’re dead.

Other than Lady Stoneheart, who has Martin “brought back” from the dead?

Uhm, Aegon, Davos, Arya, Cat, Jon (maybe), Loras (maybe maybe), Tyrek (maybe, would actually be a very long shot), Connington.
These are the ones who the reader may think are dead/horribly wounded, and turn up suddenly. See a pattern?

Forgot Brienne. Well, Aegon’s body must have been one of the most watched things in Robert’s Rebellion, and then he’s there (or is he?). But the point I’m trying to make (maybe poorly, sorry then) is that GRRM uses, actually overuses, the same plot device he called Tolkien out for; and in my opinion because he does it because he has run out of storylines.
But in that respect, Cat may be special, I grant you that.

I just had this fantasy of Maisie Williams playing Delirium nee Delight in a Sandman adaptation. Never happen, as I don’t trust ANYONE with that material and we’d have to do the whole thing before Maisie ages a day, but I can Dream….

She’s a cool kid, regardless. Pretty amazing that someone with so little acting training can own a role like Arya. You could probably think of a dozen actors to play any of the kids’ parts in GoT, but I can’t imagine anyone else playing Arya.